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Martha Gunn #6
Recalled to Death
On a bright spring morning, John Hyde opens the gates to the grounds of Moreton Corbet Castle, a local medieval ruin, and discovers the body of a homeless man with his throat slashed.
Detective Inspector Alex Randall and his team soon face some disturbing questions: was this a random attack, or does someone have a vendetta against the homeless? For coroner Martha Gunn, establishing the man’s identity is essential, but there are no clues . . . Who is he? What was he doing in the grounds of a Shropshire beauty spot?
As the mystery deepens, the need for answers becomes increasingly important. Can Martha and Alex solve the puzzle?
Detective Inspector Alex Randall and his team soon face some disturbing questions: was this a random attack, or does someone have a vendetta against the homeless? For coroner Martha Gunn, establishing the man’s identity is essential, but there are no clues . . . Who is he? What was he doing in the grounds of a Shropshire beauty spot?
As the mystery deepens, the need for answers becomes increasingly important. Can Martha and Alex solve the puzzle?
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Priscilla Masters
63 books79 followersPriscilla Masters' writing career started in 1987 when she published Mr. Bateman's Garden, a children's book set in Biddulph Grange Gardens belonging to the National Trust. After that she created Inspector Joanna Piercy and has now also written a number of Medical Mysteries.
Priscilla Masters lives in Shropshire, England. She works part-time in Staffordshire as a practice nurse.
Priscilla Masters lives in Shropshire, England. She works part-time in Staffordshire as a practice nurse.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 12, 2020
"Recalled to death" is the sixth novel in Priscilla Masters' Martha Gunn mystery series. This series has been on my TBR for some time so thought I'd jump in and try to catch up to previous titles in the series later. It is a sound police procedural mystery set in Shropshire, England. I had no trouble reading this title even though it is the 6th in this acclaimed series!
Martha Gunn is a coroner, a widow, a mother of twins, and a redhead. Don't you just love her already? She along with series regulars Detective Inspector Alex Randall, Sergeant Paul Talith, and Constable Gethin Roberts investigate the violent murder of a vagrant in the cellar of a medieval ruin.
The murder investigation cannot proceed in any productive manner due to the fact that the identity of the vagrant remains shrouded in mystery. Learning his identity becomes the paramount concern of the Shrewsbury police.
The backstory of the characters whilst they are investigating makes the reader connect with them in such a way that you want to know all there is to know about them. There is also an obvious attraction between the series protagonist Martha Gunn and DI Alex Randall. Since Randall has an abysmal family life you are rooting for them all the way. The ending is written in such a way that the reader is left wanting 'more'.
The scene where Martha and Alex go for a walk on the Porthill footbridge is both memorable and poignant.
Very strong characterization coupled with an intriguing and well wrought mystery made "Recalled to death" an extremely enjoyable read. I look forward to backtracking and reading the first five novels in this excellent police procedural series. (It doesn't hurt that they all have very attractive dustjackets too! )
Thanks to Severn House via NetGalley for providing me with this novel for review.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
Martha Gunn is a coroner, a widow, a mother of twins, and a redhead. Don't you just love her already? She along with series regulars Detective Inspector Alex Randall, Sergeant Paul Talith, and Constable Gethin Roberts investigate the violent murder of a vagrant in the cellar of a medieval ruin.
The murder investigation cannot proceed in any productive manner due to the fact that the identity of the vagrant remains shrouded in mystery. Learning his identity becomes the paramount concern of the Shrewsbury police.
The backstory of the characters whilst they are investigating makes the reader connect with them in such a way that you want to know all there is to know about them. There is also an obvious attraction between the series protagonist Martha Gunn and DI Alex Randall. Since Randall has an abysmal family life you are rooting for them all the way. The ending is written in such a way that the reader is left wanting 'more'.
The scene where Martha and Alex go for a walk on the Porthill footbridge is both memorable and poignant.
Very strong characterization coupled with an intriguing and well wrought mystery made "Recalled to death" an extremely enjoyable read. I look forward to backtracking and reading the first five novels in this excellent police procedural series. (It doesn't hurt that they all have very attractive dustjackets too! )
Thanks to Severn House via NetGalley for providing me with this novel for review.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
Read
May 25, 2019Read positive reviews of Martha Gunn series; brought this one home from library since it was clean and light in weight; realized after starting out with the reading of this book that I had most likely tried samples of this author's work previously and had not found it right for my reading demands. Just a mistake among many trials of authors. I did a speed read of this book. Just not for me.
January 9, 2016
Recalled to Death was a joy to read.
"Had the man come here by chance? Had the murder also been by chance? Who would want to slit the throat of a vagrant? Why? And why here?......."
DI Alex Randall is called in when the body of a tramp is discovered in the ruins of a castle. There are no clues, no evidence pointing to the identity of the murderer. Even stranger, nor is there any pointing to the identity of the dead man. In fact he seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to hide his identity. Why?
Neither Randall nor coroner Martha Gunn are happy to bury this unidentified man in an unmarked grave and are determined to give him the dignity of his own identity.
I sat down to read a chapter or two...and several hours later found myself at 72% and none of the jobs I had intended doing, done.
The writing is warm, descriptive and captivating. The characters are well rounded and eminently believable. The plot moves along at a steady pace, revealing little gems about the characters and sewing seeds for future exploration. There are brief forays into the characters personal lives, enough to make them more interesting, but not enough to eclipse the main storyline.
Priscilla Masters is a new-to-me author, but she will not remain a one book read for me.
Recalled to Death is #5 in a series, none of which I have read. This works perfectly well as a stand alone book, but I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the series from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the gift of a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Had the man come here by chance? Had the murder also been by chance? Who would want to slit the throat of a vagrant? Why? And why here?......."
DI Alex Randall is called in when the body of a tramp is discovered in the ruins of a castle. There are no clues, no evidence pointing to the identity of the murderer. Even stranger, nor is there any pointing to the identity of the dead man. In fact he seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to hide his identity. Why?
Neither Randall nor coroner Martha Gunn are happy to bury this unidentified man in an unmarked grave and are determined to give him the dignity of his own identity.
I sat down to read a chapter or two...and several hours later found myself at 72% and none of the jobs I had intended doing, done.
The writing is warm, descriptive and captivating. The characters are well rounded and eminently believable. The plot moves along at a steady pace, revealing little gems about the characters and sewing seeds for future exploration. There are brief forays into the characters personal lives, enough to make them more interesting, but not enough to eclipse the main storyline.
Priscilla Masters is a new-to-me author, but she will not remain a one book read for me.
Recalled to Death is #5 in a series, none of which I have read. This works perfectly well as a stand alone book, but I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the series from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the gift of a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2019
The mystery in the book was quite interesting, but I was not a fan of all the sensitive pussyfooting around relationships and secrets.
July 18, 2015
This novel in the Martha Gunn series doesn't feature as much of Martha in her role of Coroner as it does Detective Inspector Alex Randall and his homicide team. The reason for that is the difficulty the police have in identifying a murder victim found in Moreton Corbet Castle in Shropshire. It is obvious from the beginning that this man was one of the homeless, but why was he in the castle in the first place and how did he get there from the area where the homeless usually gathered for the night? Police literally have no clue as to this man's identity so the long, laborious work begins to track down who he is. None of the most obvious methods of identification work so the team at Monkmoor police station in Shrewsbury find themselves piecing together the most minute clues while, by chance or otherwise, often overlooking chances to find clues which would send the mystery on the way to being solved.
I had read one novel in this series previously so was very glad when I was given the opportunity to catch up with this cast of characters. The long, slow process of working on this case could have been an exercise in tedium, but that is definitely not the way this book reads. I really appreciated learning more about the life of DI Randall and was very surprised by what I learned. It did help me understand him more and might even be a set-up for a future novel in the series. This is a very good reading experience if you enjoy following right along with a team of investigators as they find the clues and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I definitely will be waiting for the next book in this series.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
I had read one novel in this series previously so was very glad when I was given the opportunity to catch up with this cast of characters. The long, slow process of working on this case could have been an exercise in tedium, but that is definitely not the way this book reads. I really appreciated learning more about the life of DI Randall and was very surprised by what I learned. It did help me understand him more and might even be a set-up for a future novel in the series. This is a very good reading experience if you enjoy following right along with a team of investigators as they find the clues and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I definitely will be waiting for the next book in this series.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
September 29, 2015
Recalled To Death ...by Priscilla Masters 4 ****
This murder mystery opens with the discovery of a vagabond in the grounds of a local medieval castle in Shrewsbury. The fact that the victim has no identification certainly proves to be a challenge for DI Alex Randall and Martha Gunn, the local Coroner.
First and foremost, DI Randall and his homicide team have to determine who the identity is of the nameless victim, plus why he was found in the castle grounds and why was he away from where the other homeless people gathered for the night?
The plot begins to steadily unravel as the most minute clues are pieced together so that the murderer is discovered. I particularly enjoyed the way that Martha and Alex work professionally and wonder if they will become any closer?
I felt that at times the plot could have moved a little faster so I awarded four stars to 'Recalled To Death.'
By Peggy Sutton. AKA Galadriel
Best Selling Crime Thrillers received an advanced copy of the book to review
This murder mystery opens with the discovery of a vagabond in the grounds of a local medieval castle in Shrewsbury. The fact that the victim has no identification certainly proves to be a challenge for DI Alex Randall and Martha Gunn, the local Coroner.
First and foremost, DI Randall and his homicide team have to determine who the identity is of the nameless victim, plus why he was found in the castle grounds and why was he away from where the other homeless people gathered for the night?
The plot begins to steadily unravel as the most minute clues are pieced together so that the murderer is discovered. I particularly enjoyed the way that Martha and Alex work professionally and wonder if they will become any closer?
I felt that at times the plot could have moved a little faster so I awarded four stars to 'Recalled To Death.'
By Peggy Sutton. AKA Galadriel
Best Selling Crime Thrillers received an advanced copy of the book to review
July 26, 2015
This was a very interesting read. With little to no clues at all when a homeless man is found dead in the ruins of a castle, it was interesting to see how the police were able to discover who he was and what exactly happened to him. It was not so cut and dry so they did not have an easy time of it, which made it seem more realistic.
The characters were good and had depth as well as dimension. I don't mind a story having multiple points of view, however, I think there were a bit too many in this one. In my opinion, it would have been better with only those of Alex and Martha. And I think also, I would have liked to see a bit more of Martha. Mostly we see Alex. I understand that it was necessary in this particular case to see everything that went into solving this difficult case, but a bit more of Martha would still have been nice.
My full review can be found on Word Gurgle www.wordgurlge.blogspot.com
The characters were good and had depth as well as dimension. I don't mind a story having multiple points of view, however, I think there were a bit too many in this one. In my opinion, it would have been better with only those of Alex and Martha. And I think also, I would have liked to see a bit more of Martha. Mostly we see Alex. I understand that it was necessary in this particular case to see everything that went into solving this difficult case, but a bit more of Martha would still have been nice.
My full review can be found on Word Gurgle www.wordgurlge.blogspot.com
July 1, 2015
A medieval ruin and a murdered homeless man presents a new puzzle for DI Alex Randall and coroner Martha Gunn. Unfortunately, neither the characters nor the plot really engaged me, the clues seemed strangely artificial, and the man's reason for being homeless didn't work for me either.
Master's has another series featuring DI Joanna Piercy; there are at least 12 in that series, but I'm not inclined to check it out right now. Has anyone else read either of these series?
Read in June. Blog post scheduled for Sept. 19.
NetGalley/Severn House
Mystery/Police Procedural. Oct. 1, 2015. Print length: 192 pages.
Master's has another series featuring DI Joanna Piercy; there are at least 12 in that series, but I'm not inclined to check it out right now. Has anyone else read either of these series?
Read in June. Blog post scheduled for Sept. 19.
NetGalley/Severn House
Mystery/Police Procedural. Oct. 1, 2015. Print length: 192 pages.
June 2, 2016
Although I enjoyed the book it was spoilt by the inquest's dates of the events. The boating incident happened in 2009 not 2000.
December 15, 2019
I enjoyed this book which is the sixth in the 'Martha Gunn', coroner of Shrewsbury series. It was a good read which had an extremely complicated and, somewhat unbelievable, explanation of the crime. Well, let's face it - a completely unbelievable explanation of the crime.
For me, the book was marred by an unnecessary, harrowing description of a new born baby's condition. It was so unpalatable that I seriously considered not continuing with the book.
However, I did and reaching the end I was amused to find that the guilty party possessed, a 'mind as devious as Hampton Court Maze'.
Overall, I would recommend this book.
Read my full review at https://5pmfriday.org/2019/12/14/book...
www.michellelegrandart.wordpress.com
For me, the book was marred by an unnecessary, harrowing description of a new born baby's condition. It was so unpalatable that I seriously considered not continuing with the book.
However, I did and reaching the end I was amused to find that the guilty party possessed, a 'mind as devious as Hampton Court Maze'.
Overall, I would recommend this book.
Read my full review at https://5pmfriday.org/2019/12/14/book...
www.michellelegrandart.wordpress.com
February 26, 2023
As an NDJ from the library I had low expectations of this, but was pleasantly surprised at first. It seemed quite a decent, tightly written mystery, and I was enjoying it. Then, BOOM! came the deus ex machina, and the mystery was solved in a puerile ending in the last 30 or so pages. If only the CS johnnies had done a better job! What a huge disappointment!
It looked as though the author had suddenly lost interest, and just wanted the thing to end.
It's only 185 pages, so a decent length.
The author has another long running mystery series which may be better.
I rate it a 2.9.
It looked as though the author had suddenly lost interest, and just wanted the thing to end.
It's only 185 pages, so a decent length.
The author has another long running mystery series which may be better.
I rate it a 2.9.
June 13, 2017
Quite the story. For someone with a wild imagination this story could continue in at least two directions. I seem to have jumped into the middle of a series and will make every effort to catch up on the stories I have missed!
May 12, 2019
Easy to read, and if you are looking for escaping the worries of daily life, then this is it. Life can be stanger than fiction, so not going to comment on the chance meetings and coincidences.
April 28, 2020
I enjoy Priscilla Masters, will continue the series
May 9, 2021
Great prologue which led to a solid police procedural with a bit of personal interest thrown in for the mix.
April 5, 2022
first i've read in this series, not terribly memorable but I did like it. The ending came out of no-where and the characters are forgotten already. It passed the time.
July 5, 2023
Good, not great.
July 13, 2015
Articulate and compelling, Priscilla Masters' newest police procedural, Recalled to Death, is a mystery that should not be missed. The novel captures the reader from the very first page, drawing them in deeper and deeper until the final resolution.
When a homeless man is found dead, his throat cut, in the basement of Moreton Corbet Castle, Detective Inspector Alex Randall has to discover not only who murdered the man but who the man is. The latter question proves a difficult one to answer. Noone knows The Man's name, his story, or where he comes from. Those who remember him speak of him as cultured, well spoken, and enigmatic, neither a drinker nor a drug user. Apart from cryptic references about already being dead, Alex and his team have few leads. Was this a random crime against the homeless? Or was he murdered because of who he was? Even an unknown deserves justice.
Alex and his team are human, with varied backgrounds, problems and concerns that affect them and their work. They are not automatons or two dimensional figures. Masters' novel has the feel of a real investigation, including not only the varied tasks involved in investigating but also the hopes dreams and fears of the police on the job. Reading Recalled to Death, I felt like I was plunged into a real investigation, able to see behind the scenes and understand the motivations of the central characters.
Priscilla Masters is a wonderful author whose vivid descriptions, fascinating characters, and unique storyline combine to make Recalled to Death an impressive police procedural certain to satisfy fans of the genre.
5/5
Recalled to Death is available for preorder and will be released October 1, 2015
Recalled to Death is the 6th Martha Gunn police procedural. The books do not have to be read in order.
I received a copy of Recalled to Death from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
If you love police procedurals, you will love Recalled to Death
http://muttcafe.com/2015/07/recalled-...
When a homeless man is found dead, his throat cut, in the basement of Moreton Corbet Castle, Detective Inspector Alex Randall has to discover not only who murdered the man but who the man is. The latter question proves a difficult one to answer. Noone knows The Man's name, his story, or where he comes from. Those who remember him speak of him as cultured, well spoken, and enigmatic, neither a drinker nor a drug user. Apart from cryptic references about already being dead, Alex and his team have few leads. Was this a random crime against the homeless? Or was he murdered because of who he was? Even an unknown deserves justice.
Alex and his team are human, with varied backgrounds, problems and concerns that affect them and their work. They are not automatons or two dimensional figures. Masters' novel has the feel of a real investigation, including not only the varied tasks involved in investigating but also the hopes dreams and fears of the police on the job. Reading Recalled to Death, I felt like I was plunged into a real investigation, able to see behind the scenes and understand the motivations of the central characters.
Priscilla Masters is a wonderful author whose vivid descriptions, fascinating characters, and unique storyline combine to make Recalled to Death an impressive police procedural certain to satisfy fans of the genre.
5/5
Recalled to Death is available for preorder and will be released October 1, 2015
Recalled to Death is the 6th Martha Gunn police procedural. The books do not have to be read in order.
I received a copy of Recalled to Death from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
If you love police procedurals, you will love Recalled to Death
http://muttcafe.com/2015/07/recalled-...
May 4, 2016
‘Recalled to Death’ by Priscilla Masters
Published by Severn House, 26 June 2015. ISBN: 978-0-7278-8527-2
John Hyde is paid by English Heritage to open the gates of Moreton Corbet Castle at 10.30am each weekday morning. On Friday the 12 September he fulfilled his duty as usual, but there usual ended because lying in the stone cellar was the dead body of a man with his throat slashed.
Detective Inspector Alex Randall is soon at the scene, with his team. Their first question is, was this the random killing of a homeless man, or something more personal. Finding out about the victim, his life, his friends, his haunts, should give them some leads. But the identity of the victim proves elusive. Although he was recognised by several of the helpers in the surrounding shelters for the homeless and had on occasion attended the Holy Cross Catholic Church, no one seemed to know anything about him.
As has recently become a habit Alex Randell calls on Coroner Martha Gunn to talk over the case, but establishing the victim’s identity continues to elude them
This is a tantalising and intriguing mystery, as with Martha’s input Alex Randall and his team uncover the story about and behind the murder of the unknown man. Eventually past secrets are uncovered and the killer is unmasked. The title is brilliant.
On the personal front Alex and Martha’s friendship continues to grow. Having long wondered about Alex’s personal life, Martha now becomes aware of the obstacles against anything more than friendship between them, but never say never! Oh! and PC Gethin Roberts is in a turmoil as his wedding day approaches. Marvellous characterisation. Great plotting. A terrific read.
Priscialla Masters is for me the Master of the mystery, and in this she excels. Fascinating and compelling I could not put this book down. Highly recommeneded.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Published by Severn House, 26 June 2015. ISBN: 978-0-7278-8527-2
John Hyde is paid by English Heritage to open the gates of Moreton Corbet Castle at 10.30am each weekday morning. On Friday the 12 September he fulfilled his duty as usual, but there usual ended because lying in the stone cellar was the dead body of a man with his throat slashed.
Detective Inspector Alex Randall is soon at the scene, with his team. Their first question is, was this the random killing of a homeless man, or something more personal. Finding out about the victim, his life, his friends, his haunts, should give them some leads. But the identity of the victim proves elusive. Although he was recognised by several of the helpers in the surrounding shelters for the homeless and had on occasion attended the Holy Cross Catholic Church, no one seemed to know anything about him.
As has recently become a habit Alex Randell calls on Coroner Martha Gunn to talk over the case, but establishing the victim’s identity continues to elude them
This is a tantalising and intriguing mystery, as with Martha’s input Alex Randall and his team uncover the story about and behind the murder of the unknown man. Eventually past secrets are uncovered and the killer is unmasked. The title is brilliant.
On the personal front Alex and Martha’s friendship continues to grow. Having long wondered about Alex’s personal life, Martha now becomes aware of the obstacles against anything more than friendship between them, but never say never! Oh! and PC Gethin Roberts is in a turmoil as his wedding day approaches. Marvellous characterisation. Great plotting. A terrific read.
Priscialla Masters is for me the Master of the mystery, and in this she excels. Fascinating and compelling I could not put this book down. Highly recommeneded.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
October 4, 2015
When the body of a homeless man is discovered at a local ruin, Detective Inspector Alex Randall cant help but wonder why anyone would want to inflict such a horrific attack on the unknown person. Initial enquiries about the victim also leave Coroner Martha Gunn perplexed and together the two of them are determined to uncover what it is that made the quietly spoken and polite man the target of such a brutal killer
Realistic characters and well formed storyline kept me intrigued as the two central characters try to make sense of the killing, with no information regarding the victim and little information forthcoming from the homeless community they've got their work cut out.
I love the way Priscilla Masters writes, the scene setting, the characters and the storyline all blend together well making an easy read interesting and compelling
Realistic characters and well formed storyline kept me intrigued as the two central characters try to make sense of the killing, with no information regarding the victim and little information forthcoming from the homeless community they've got their work cut out.
I love the way Priscilla Masters writes, the scene setting, the characters and the storyline all blend together well making an easy read interesting and compelling
January 31, 2016
When a tramp is found brutally killed at the site of historic ruins near Shrewsbury, DI Alex Randall and his team concentrate, with no success, on determining the man's identity. Coroner Martha Gunn, who's interested in crime, and also in Randall, tries to help uncover the mystery. I found the ending--both to the crime and to the continued relationship--unsatisfying, but perhaps if I'd read the earlier books in the series, it might have been more rewarding.
April 25, 2016
In the sixth Martha Gunn police procedural, Martha and Alex continue their almost-romantic rapport against the dire backdrop of the ruined MOreton Corbet Castle, site of a brutal homicide.
September 25, 2016
This book and the first one were the best in the series, but I liked all of them. This ended with a little teaser so I am hoping she is planning on writing more in the series.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews